Swimming pool with improved wall strengthening means

Abstract

An arrangement comprising a plurality of wall panels connected end-to-end to form the swimming pool is strengthened and is afforded with means to retain alignment, and prevents the wall panels from buckling. Horizontal stiffening members are positioned in cut-outs formed in vertical support posts secured to the panels and in the vertical flanges at the ends of the panel modules to which brace members are also attached. The stiffening members are contained within the cut-outs and abut against the back of the wall panel at the top. Vertical Z-shaped post or rib members secured to the modular panels are provided with a bottom tab which may be staked in position facilitates alignment of the panels. A longitudinal stiffening member positioned at the bottom of the wall panels is optionally used and adds substantial additional strength and alignment means to the pool structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A below-ground swimming pool comprising an assemblage of metal side wall panels having vertical reinforcing posts welded at intermittent locations along the length of the panel side, said panels being joined in end-to-end relationship and being braced in upright position to form the perimeter of the swimming pool, a cut-out at the top of said posts for receiving in said cut-out a stiffening member horizontally positioned within said cut-out so that the top of said stiffening member is inset within said cut-out and is not higher than the top of said wall panel and not higher than the top of the post and is positioned in said cut-out such that the stiffening member abuts against the back of the said wall panel at the upper edge of the wall panel, bracing members secured on vertical posts at points contiguous to the top and to the bottom of said vertical posts and extending outward from said wall panels and secured in a footing and a poured concrete deck formed around the outer periphery of the pool and embedding therein the top of said bracing members, the top of the vertical posts containing said cut-out, the top of said wall panels and said stiffening member. 
     
     
       2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the vertical post comprises a Z shaped cross section and said post is provided with an anchoring tab extending horizontally from the bottom of said post to permit anchoring of said post on a substrate on which the pool is assembled. 
     
     
       3. The improvement of claim 2 further provided with a longitudinally extending stiffening member positioned at the bottom of and secured to said panels and means for anchoring said stiffening member to the underlying substrate. 
     
     
       4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said bottom stiffening member has an L-shaped cross section with an upright leg secured to the panel from the front and a horizontal leg at the bottom which is provided with a plurality of anchoring openings. 
     
     
       5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the wall panels are provided with substantially right angle end flanges which abut the end flanges of adjacent panels, said flanges having a cut-out at the top such that the cut-out is in alignment with the cut-out in the vertical reinforcing posts to accept therein the stiffening member that abuts against the upper edge of the wall panel. 
     
     
       6. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said stiffening member disposed horizontally in the cut-out at the top of said posts comprises a longitudinal channel member with an upward facing U-shaped cross section. 
     
     
       7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein a coping with depending bifurcated legs is inserted at the top of the side wall panels so that the said legs straddle, and grip therebetween, the top of the wall panel and a leg on the U-shaped stiffening member positioned within said cut-out. 
     
     
       8. A method of assembling a below-ground swimming pool from an assemblage of prefabricated metal side wall panels which have vertical posts that are substantially the height of the wall panel welded at intermittent locations along the length of the wall panel, forming a cut-out of a portion contiguous to the wall panel of the top of each of said posts, excavating a ground site, assembling said panels peripherally to form the pool enclosure in said ground site, securing outwardly extending bracing members on said vertical posts and on the ground, inserting a horizontal stiffening member within said cut-out portion to extend around and abut against the top and at the back of the wall panels, the top of said stiffening members being substantially flush with the top of the wall panels and co-extending around the periphery of the pool, affixing a coping around the periphery of the swimming pool, and at the top of said wall panels, pouring a concrete footing to secure in place at the bottom said posts and said bracing members and pouring a pool deck at the outer periphery of said pool to embed therein the tops of said bracing members and said vertical posts, said stiffening member and coping.